Honorees inducted into Fort Bliss Hall of Fame

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, commander of the 1st Armored Division spoke at an induction ceremony for the Fort Bliss Hall of Fame Tuesday on post. Six new members were added to the hall. (Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times)

Murphy was not able to attend, and Costello was represented by his widow, Micki.

All were cited for helping to improve the post or being a strong advocate of it.

"First of all, all of these people represent the best of the El Paso community," said Garrison Commander Col. Brant V. Dayley.

All were deserving of overdue thanks for their efforts, but had to wait because of the Hall of Fame being inactive, Dayley said.

This was the Hall of Fame's second induction ceremony after being reinstated by the Garrison Command. The first was in January, when retired Fort Bliss museums director Peter Poessiger was honored.

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Reyes was a tireless advocate for Fort Bliss during his 16 years as a congressman, said Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, commander of Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division.

Reyes was instrumental in Fort Bliss' recent explosion of growth and the post getting $7 billion in construction projects during a seven-year period, according to the induction statement.

Cook also has served as a friend and booster for Fort Bliss, Pittard said. El Paso's mayor played a key role in speeding up projects needed by the installation, such as Spur 601, Pittard added.

From the military, Costello was the commanding general at Fort Bliss from 1995 to 1998. His vision helped to transform Fort Bliss during the most recent Base Realignment and Closure process into the home of the 1st Armored Division and one of the military's major deployment points, Pittard said. Fort Bliss' headquarters is also named after Costello.

Behrenhausen was the first commander of what is now called Joint Task Force North, which provides Department of Defense support to U.S. border security and anti-drug efforts. He also has served as a strong advocate for promoting El Paso as a retirement community.

"It's an honor to be included in a group that has done so much for our country," Behrenhausen said.

Greer was already a "legend" before he arrived in El Paso in the 1970s, Pittard said. Greer was one of the first 10 African-American generals in the Army and served as a mentor to countless people, Pittard said.

The plan is to have induction ceremonies twice a year in the future.

David Burge may be reached at dburge@elpasotimes.com; 546-6126. Follow him on Twitter @dburge1962